Damien Chazelle’s WHIPLASH is currently drumming up excitement among audiences nationwide, but its road to the big screen was not an easy one – requiring of its director a dedication that mirrors that of his protagonist, a young musician determined to be one of the jazz greats. In 2012, the screenplay was featured on the Black List, the film industry’s annual catalog of the best unproduced screenplays. The following year, Chazelle directed an 18-minute, condensed version of his script, highlighting the story’s aggressive central relationship between instructor and student. The short won big at the Sundance Film Festival – essentially proving…